Domestic travels in New Zealand while on level 1

Auckland City waterfront, vinneve

I am happy to announce that we are covid free now here in New Zealand!! This is also in response to WOTD: Victory We are now on level 1 and it may stay like this for awhile, restrictions still in place. Personally, I prefer it this way to protect our safety so I am not keen of opening the border, although there are some citizens and residents (repatriation) coming home from overseas and they may bring the virus with them so they are required for a 14 day quarantine. It took 5 million people, a big team effort to do this as when we were on lockdown we cooperated and only going out to buy essentials like food. Though of course anywhere in the world there may be some silly people (not a lot here) still goes out that time to do silly things but they are being apprehended by the police and given a penalty depends on their situation/alibis. FUN FACT. Normal police officers here in NZ doesn’t carry any firearms. They carry confidence, kindness and diplomacy.

Since we are now on level 1 the government is pushing domestic travels to help our economy and communities. Buy NZ Made. Buy local products which mostly people are doing right now including me. Both Jetstar and Air New Zealand are having their sale these past couple of weeks and it has been sold out faster! I use our voucher/coupon to redeem and bought tickets to Christchurch finally! Looking forward to it. So for now we are talking about domestic travels and here’s the following information thru personal experiences from other bloggers who went here in NZ before the pandemic. Please click their link, and they have some amazing photos to show you while traveling around New Zealand.

Before you travel to any country or even if you were stranded here in New Zealand it is a MUST for your own sake to have your own travel insurance. Though our healthcare system helped this young tourist as per this link >> “How NZ generous healthcare system saved my ass”

Birds eyeview Queenstown in gondola, vinneve

No pain no gain. So yes there was a time that New Zealand looks more like this. Here is the link for “When Paradise in New Zealand becomes a ghost town”.

Auckland Sky Tower, vinneve

Here above is the response for the June Photo of the Day: REFLECTIONS.

For sure people are now thinking of reuniting / partying with their friends and families more than a group of ten since it is now permitted. It may not be the same as before but this new normal surely will stay for quite awhile. So we better adapt to it and accept all the challenges in life. Stay safe peeps!

UPDATE: We suddenly not a covid free country anymore (just of today’s news June 16th) because of 2 female citizens/residents coming from the UK and testing positive for covid but for some reason was given a COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS to drive to Wellington (from Auckland) to attend a funeral of their parents. Shall we understand this or not?!! For goodness sake! we suffered in lockdowns and up to level 3 to becoming covid free for 3 weeks and the communities all over the country cooperated and because of this hindsight WE ARE AGAIN IN TROUBLE. Why? simple. Driving from Auckland to Wellington is 8 long hours Non Stop! I do not believe they didn’t even stop to pee, eat or put on gas that is simply lying. Those people who doesn’t know that they served these women are now at risk even their loved ones! So is this harmless? NO. I cannot understand why there is compassionate grounds at all since those people who died because of covid-19 didn’t even had the chance to see their loved ones. I am so annoyed with this news. It is unbelievable and I put the blame on the health department who didn’t think twice about this compassionate grounds. That is plain stupidity if I may say so! Sorry for the outburst but we will know within this week or so if there are people at risk now because of this. Our sacrifices (life, jobs, businesses, etc) and cooperations are now put in the drain.

Be patient in this new world

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world”  by Hellen Keller

This is in response to the WOTD: Patient

The quote is so true isn’t it?

We learn from our mistakes.  If there’s a will there’s a way.  No pain no gain and so many other sayings.  This pandemic teaches us so many things in our lives.  How to be strong in these tough times.  How some of us become like a master chef or baker in our household without relying too much upon in takeaways or fast foods?  How to pray for our beloved safety and well being.  How to be kind to one another.  How to be tolerant about things we cannot control and accepted how it is.  Otherwise, you will only be miserable if you cannot accept defeat.  Life is in constant change.  We are facing a new life.  Be patient.

There is always a reason for everything and yes there are some positive outcomes of this world problem.  We learn how to be more hygienic or overdoing it at times just to protect our loved ones.  Our world started to heal from the pollution and the birds and other animals profited from it too.  If you love traveling like me, another positive outcome is you are now seatmate free as the seat in the middle will now be vacant for each passengers safety.  New Zealand is now on alert level 2 which means “almost” back to normal (apart from social distancing, proper good hygiene, and “being kind” as what the PM always telling on her media interviews. The tourism industry is now being pushed forward after being dormant for so long.  We just have to support and discover our own backyard deepest corners.  Besides, we have a beautiful country!

We hope of a safer tomorrow.  Wishing a covid-19 free world sooner than later.  Let’s be patient. It will come.

PS:  Please also support my other blog site as per this link >> Life and Wonders.  I have transferred some of my older posts in there as it was the first chapter of my new life being an ex-pat in the Middle East (The UAE).  There you can see how it was living in that world and you will be surprised.  Nevertheless, you can still see some of the remaining post here dated from mid-2015 up to early 2019.  FYI.  Thank You!

I say YES to life!!

In response to the Word of the Day Challenge YES as per this LINK.

As per the quote above… why not?  Life is too short anyway not to say yes to life!  There’s more about the world we live in that we must see and discover.  IF I didn’t say yes to a new adventure in the Middle East 5 years ago (particularly Abu Dhabi) I wouldn’t even know how beautiful this City is and other UAE cities too! Do not prejudge things, places, religions, culture, and people unless you already experienced it yourself and be open-minded. Saying yes open my eyes to these.  I will miss this place now that I have a new adventure ahead.  FOLLOW me while back living in our home country New Zealand.

expatslifeinAbuDhabi, vinneve

Yes, I believe we will get to the new normal way of life but it doesn’t discourage me to travel step by step (don’t worry even to your nearest suburbs or cities it’s ok!) and see how lucky we are and besides didn’t we get to learn new tricks and passion while on lockdown?  C’mon, don’t be gloomy! Say YES and you will feel life will say yes to you.  Cheer up!

More than words

In response to the “Word of the Day Challenge” as per the words below. It summarizes the feelings we’ve felt while back in Switzerland last December to January 2020.

Updated:  I thought I better add some of these Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge:  Sense of Seeing and Sense of Touching.

“The words printed here are concepts.  You must go through the experiences.” by Saint Augustine

WISH 

Oberigberg1, vinneve

SURPRISE

IlluminariumZurich, vinneve

ADMIRE

Oberiberg2, vinneve

DELIGHT

MaroniDessert, vinneve

EXPLORING Unique places

Wettswil, vinneve

FOG

RickenbackSZ, vinneve

I am having a hard time publishing this and I wonder why, as this is now my 3rd attempt to publish this.  It will show as published but then the next day I cannot find it and so the viewers cannot see it too.  So I stop linking the words above as pingback.  I hope this will work this time so other readers can see this post.  If you are having a similar issue with WP please let me know by the comments below.  Thanks for checking, much appreciated.

Tschuss!!